Here are some fun magnet games that I have adapted form from Jean Warren's website Discovery Express Use the back arrow to return to this page.
MAGNET MAGIC Try these fun magnet experiments. Then experiment with some magnets on your own. You will need magnets, paper clips, toy metal cars, other small metal objects. Please check with an adult that everything you have is SAFE!
WARNING! Keep magnets away from computers and electrical items such as TVs
MAGNET CARS
Attach bar magnets to the fronts of small toy cars with masking tape.
Make sure that the magnets are attached, so that some will repel and some will attract.
Now play with the cars.
Roll two cars toward each other. What happens?
Can you find out a way to push a car without touching it?
MAGNETIC RACE TRACK
Take turns with this activity.
Draw a simple race track on a sheet of thin cardboard.
Glue a strong magnet to the bottom of a toy car.
Place the car on top of the race track.
Hold a magnet underneath the cardboard, directly below the car.
Slowly move the magnet along the bottom of the cardboard to make the car move.
Race the car around the track as fast as you can without running off the track.
TRICKY PAPER CLIP
Put a large glass filled with water on a low table.
Now drop a paper clip into the glass.
Can you think of ways to get the paper clip out of the glass without putting anything in the water or dumping the water out.
Now get a strong magnet.
Hold the magnet against the side of the glass until the paper clip attaches to it through the water and the glass.
Then slowly pull the magnet up the side of the glass.
The paper clip will come out of the water without the water being touched.
How can the magnet move the paper clip without touching it?
What other items could you put in the glass that the magnet will pick up?
DANCING PAPER CLIPS
Fill a jar with water and drop two or three paper clips into the water.
Think how you can make the paper clips dance up and down in the water without touching them.
Try moving a magnet up and down outside the jar - what happens?
How many paper clips can your magnet make dance?
What would you need to make more paper clips dance?
Can you explain how the magnet can make the paper clips dance without touching them?
COMPASS FUN A compass has a magnet in it to make it work. The north pole has a magnetic field, and the magnet in the compass is attracted to that field. So no matter where a compass is held, the needle in the compass will point to the north.
Set out several compasses. What do you notice? (Make sure that you hold the compasses somewhat apart or the magnetic fields will be disturbed.)
How can you make the needles move around.
Now hold a small magnet next to the compasses. What happens to the needles?
Can you explain why this happens? Click and drag your mouse highlight below to find the answer
(The magnetic fields from the magnets are closer and stronger than the one from the north pole, so the needles on the compasses will point to the magnets instead of the pole.)
MAKING A COMPASS
Set out a straight pin, a strong magnet, a piece of cork, and a bowl of water.
Magnetize the pin by rubbing it in the same direction across the magnet at least 25 times.
Push the pin through the cork.
Now carefully place the cork in the bowl of water.
The pin will point north.
How can you check this? Click and drag your mouse highlight below to find the answer
(Use a compass)
What do you think will happen when you twist the bowl around? Click and drag your mouse highlight below to find the answer
(The pin will still point north)
Hints Make sure there the bowl isn't made of metal and there is no metal around the bowl (like a knife or pair of scissors). Move your compass away from other magnetic fields, like the TV.
MAGNET SORT Collect items that can be picked up with a magnet, such as a metal paper clip, a frozen juice can lid, a washer, and a screw, and items that cannot be picked up by a magnet, such as a rubber ball, a cotton ball, a small plastic toy, and a piece of paper. Now use a magnet to sort the items into two piles, picked up by a magnet and not picked up by a magnet. What did the items the magnet picked up have in common?
Click and drag your mouse highlight below to find the answer
(They were all metal)
HUNT FOR MAGNETS
Collect several refrigerator magnets.
Hide magnets on metal surfaces throughout your home, such as the refrigerator, the stove, a file cabinet, the washing machine, and a metal toy. (Keep away from computers & TVs).
Tell your family that you have hidden magnets all around your home.
Help your family think of things in your home that are metal where a magnet might "stick."
Now let them go on a hunt to find the magnets.
MAKE YOUR OWN FRIDGE MAGNET GAMES
Collect a variety of different pictures or photos and attach magnets to the backs.
Then play the following games with your family.
I Spy-Describe one of the magnets to your family.
Have your family try to guess which one it is.
Give as many clues as needed.
Then let your family describe a magnet for you to guess.
SOME MAGNET FACTS Magnets have both a north and south pole; whichever pole of one magnet faces a pole of the other determines whether the magnets attract or not. Iron is a common material used as a magnet.
Compass The magnetized needle of a compass points northward because the Earth itself is a magnet, due to electric currents in the liquid part of the Earth's core.
Polarity Similar poles repel, while opposite poles attract. This is why disk magnets will make each other flip around, so the opposite poles are facing each other.
No Medium Required Contact is not needed for magnets to attract; they are able to act on each other at a distance, even in a vacuum.
Source of Magnetism All magnetic fields are the result of the motion of electric charges. For example, in electromagnets, the field is made by electric currents going around in circles. In atoms, it arises from the orientation of electron orbits.
Little Magnets Magnets are made up of many smaller magnets. If you cut one in half, each half will have its own north and south pole. No matter how much you cut a magnet up, each piece will have both poles.
Here are some links to interactive magnet games to keep you busy during the holiday
Test your knowledge - take the MAGNETISM test here. Retake the test at the end of the topic to see if your score changes. Here is another MAGNETISM TEST - this time you get your answers straight away.
MAGNETS - Middle Team wiki page
Here are some fun magnet games that I have adapted form from Jean Warren's website
Discovery Express Use the back arrow to return to this page.
MAGNET MAGIC
Try these fun magnet experiments. Then experiment with some magnets on your own.
You will need magnets, paper clips, toy metal cars, other small metal objects.
Please check with an adult that everything you have is SAFE!
WARNING! Keep magnets away from computers and electrical items such as TVs
MAGNET CARS
MAGNETIC RACE TRACK
TRICKY PAPER CLIP
DANCING PAPER CLIPS
COMPASS FUN
A compass has a magnet in it to make it work. The north pole has a magnetic field, and the magnet in the compass is attracted to that field. So no matter where a compass is held, the needle in the compass will point to the north.
(The magnetic fields from the magnets are closer and stronger than the one from the north pole, so the needles on the compasses will point to the magnets instead of the pole.)
MAKING A COMPASS
(Use a compass)
(The pin will still point north)
Hints
Make sure there the bowl isn't made of metal and there is no metal around the bowl (like a knife or pair of scissors).
Move your compass away from other magnetic fields, like the TV.
MAGNET SORT
Collect items that can be picked up with a magnet, such as a metal paper clip, a frozen juice can lid, a washer, and a screw, and items that cannot be picked up by a magnet, such as a rubber ball, a cotton ball, a small plastic toy, and a piece of paper. Now use a magnet to sort the items into two piles, picked up by a magnet and not picked up by a magnet.
What did the items the magnet picked up have in common?
(They were all metal)
HUNT FOR MAGNETS
MAKE YOUR OWN FRIDGE MAGNET GAMES
SOME MAGNET FACTS
Magnets have both a north and south pole; whichever pole of one magnet faces a pole of the other determines whether the magnets attract or not.
Iron is a common material used as a magnet.
Compass
The magnetized needle of a compass points northward because the Earth itself is a magnet, due to electric currents in the liquid part of the Earth's core.
Polarity
Similar poles repel, while opposite poles attract.
This is why disk magnets will make each other flip around, so the opposite poles are facing each other.
No Medium Required
Contact is not needed for magnets to attract; they are able to act on each other at a distance, even in a vacuum.
Source of Magnetism
All magnetic fields are the result of the motion of electric charges.
For example, in electromagnets, the field is made by electric currents going around in circles.
In atoms, it arises from the orientation of electron orbits.
Little Magnets
Magnets are made up of many smaller magnets.
If you cut one in half, each half will have its own north and south pole.
No matter how much you cut a magnet up, each piece will have both poles.
Here are some links to interactive magnet games to keep you busy during the holiday
MAGNETIC FISHING GAME
MAGNET SPRINGS
MAGNETIC FORCES
MAGNETIC POETRY BOARD
Hold shift & click word - then type a new word to make your OWN words - great for making poems
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?
TEST YOURSELF
Look around the home for a collection of magnets to bring to school in Term 2
BITESIZE - MAGNET GAME
Test your knowledge - take the MAGNETISM test here.
Retake the test at the end of the topic to see if your score changes.
Here is another MAGNETISM TEST - this time you get your answers straight away.
Learn about Magnetism
BBC - Bitesize - Magnetism Activities
A good site with lots of interactive activities and information about electricity.
Woodlands School - Science Site (lots of great links for electricity).